Are interest groups different in the factors determining landscape preferences?

Maria Bacher; Janette F. Walde; Caroline Pecher; Erich Tasser; Ulrike Tappeiner

doi:10.3097/LO.201647

Authors

Maria Bacher Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestraße 15, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
Janette F. Walde Department of Statistics, University of Innsbruck, Universitaetsstraße 15, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1241-5292
Caroline Pecher Institute for Alpine Environment, European Academy of Bozen/Bolzano, Viale Druso 1, Bolzano, 39100, Italy
Erich Tasser Institute for Alpine Environment, European Academy of Bozen/Bolzano, Viale Druso 1, Bolzano, 39100, Italy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9179-7494
Ulrike Tappeiner Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestraße 15, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria; Institute for Alpine Environment, European Academy of Bozen/Bolzano, Viale Druso 1, Bolzano, 39100, Ital https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0195-7459

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3097/LO.201647

Keywords:

Confirmatory factor analysis, Landscape change, Landscape preferences, Locals, Survey, Tourists

Abstract

In the last decades, rural landscape in Europe has evolved from an agricultural by-product to an important public good. This development creates not only new challenges to farming practices, it also makes participation and public involvement an indispensable tool for sustainable landscape planning. This is especially true for many European mountain regions, where tourism represents an important source of income and conflicts between locals’ and tourists’ interests should be avoided. In our study, we analyze whether discrepancies in the perception of the Alpine landscape can be located between locals and tourists and, if these differences exist, in which aspects these two groups are differing. A model employing three general factors able to describe landscape preferences regardless of the personal background is suggested and validated by confirmatory factor analysis. Our major finding shows that an attractive landscape for tourists does not have to be contradictory to a landscape that supports a high living quality for locals. Compromises in landscape planning between locals’ and tourists’ requirements seem often not to be necessary as they, generally, do not differ in the way they experience and assess the landscape.

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